Automatic gas shut-off valve



My EL 39333,. F. c. UTTEREACK ET AL L91 7,519

AUTOMATIC GAS SHUT-OFF VALVE I Filed March 8, 1930 VE 2 DEE Patented July 1l, 1933 i i UNITED STATES! PATENT oFFicE FRED C. UTI[El`\,]3..CK,` OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, AND GEORGE TW'ALTER WAR/RICK,

HARVEY,

ILLINOIS AUTOMATIC GAS SHUT-Orr' VALVE This invention relates to gas valves and more particularly to an automatic gas shut off valve adapted for use at the consumer or low pressure end of a gas line to automati- 5 cally terminate the flow of gas to the .con-

sumer whenever the pressure in the line has fallen below a predetermined minimum.

It is Well known in the gas industry that if the pressure of gas in a gas distribution l system should fall below a predetermined minimum whether it be due to inadvertance or an act of God, the flames of the consumers gas appliances are apt to go out and obviously when*r the pressure in the distribution r system is restored gas will continue to flow from such appliances and thereby put the lives and property of `the consumer in jeopardy.

It is in View of the above mentioned dan-v ger that the gas producing concerns ,whenever they shut off the flow of gas inthe distribution main or when the flow of gas drops below a predetermined yminimum, iind it necessary to send out men to homes ofconf sumers for the purpose of warning the consumers to shut olf the llames of their gas appliances such as a pilot flame in a burner, the flame in an illuminating device and the like. Obviously, this procedure entails a great deal 3U of expense to the gas producer and more important still the system `used is haph'azard since the men sent out to check up onthe consumers to make sure that gas 'will not escape from anyof their appliances when the i gas pressure is restored, may overlook some of the appliances or may even overlook calling on some of the consumers.

- Various attempts have been made to solve this situation by providing automatic shut olf valves at theconsumers ends of the distribution system, buty these attempts have not proven very successful or satisfactory inasmuch as such shut oid valves have usually been highly expensive to make and cannot r always be readily adapted Vfor use in connection with the apparatus at present in use with gas distribution systems.

It is anobject of this invention to provide a greatlysimplilied gas shut olf valve of inexpensive vconstruction and readily .adapted for use with the conventional apparatus used in gas distribution systems, and adapted to automatically shut olf the dow of gas to the.

vconsumer when the pressure `of the gas at the consumers end of the distribution line falls below afpredetermined minimum and to remain shut until manually reset.`

In accordance with the general features of the present `invention there is provided a gas shut oft valve including a diaphragm chamberhaving an inlet for connectionto the gas main at the discharge side of Lthe usual low pressure regulator at the .con- Sumers station, and an outlet for connection to the consumers supply line, there being a well of mercury around the inlet for the .valve cooperable with a cup secured to a weightedA diaphragm in the chamber :which diaphragm is movable under the effectk ofk the weight when the pressure inthe chamber drops below a predetermined minimum to cause the cup to enter the well of mercury for the purpose of shuttingoliI the supplyof gas to the chamber from the gas distribution main.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of a highly simplified shut off valve of the above described character in whichonly a portion of the .diaphragm is subjected to the incoming gas pressure once the valve is closed whereby the weight on the diaphragm will maintain the valve shut until the valve is manually reopened. j

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the follow-k ing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustratesthe single embodiment thereof, and in which;

Figure l is a plan View ofthe shut oli' valve; f 1" Figure 2` is a. vertical sectional view through the valve showingfthe position of the parts of the valve when it is in its opened position; and` Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the valve in its closed-position.l

The reference character designates generally a housing formed to provide apressure chamber l1 partly `delined by a diaphragm l2'having itsperipheral edge secured to a 100 bowl-shaped housing by means of'a top or cover 13 secured to the housing 10 by bolts 15 extending through suitable openings in the marginal portion of the diaphragm 12. The space in the cover 13 above the diaphragm 12 is connected to theatmosphere by means of a vent pipe 16 so as to prevent compression of the air in the cover above the d i aphra gm.

The cover 13 is provided ywith la central enlargement or boss 17 which serves as a guide for a stem lhaving one end secured to the center of the diaphragm 12.` The other end ot' the stem 18 extendsinto a thimble-shaped cap 19 removably enveloping the boss 17.

Surrounding the stem 18 disposed on top of the diaphragm 12 is a weight 20 which is of a predetermined size and is ca-libratedto be in proportion to the pressure of the gas normally prevailing in the chamber 11.

Secured to the underside of the diaphragm 12 directly .below the weight 20and the valve stem 1S is an inverted cup 21 adapted upon the depression of the valve stem 18 due to a. drop in the gas pressure prevailingr in the chamber 11 to enter a well 22 ormed'integral with the housing 10 and shaped to receive a sealing liquid, such, for example, as mercury, designated by the reference character 23. 1

lThe housing has formed .integral with it a. laterally and downwardly projecting lin or extension 24 terminating at one' end in the well kportion 22. This extension 2l has formed in it a Z-shaped gas inlet passageway 25 terminating at its inner end in an upwardly extending tubev 26 formed integral with the well portion 22'. This tube 26 extends through the well and is surrounded by theinercury 23.

The extension 24 is also provided with an outlet passageway 28 having one end in com munication with the chamber 11 and having its other end threaded to receive a pipe leading to the consumers appliances.

The operation of this shut ofi' valve of our invention is briefly as follows: I

Normally, when the gas is of proper pressure in the distribution main, the valve will be in its open position as shown in Figure 2.` When in this position gas is drawn by the consumer upon the lighting of one ot `his appliances through the valve from the iconvenl tional pressure rcgulatorusually used in each consuiners station. However, ii for any reason at all the Apressure should drop belou1 a predetermined point or the gas should stop 'liowingentirely, thev pressurein chamber 10 will be dissipated immediately upon the-customer lighting one o' his appliances or by an appliance thatis already lit and yoperating at the. time thevpressure ot the gas drops.y

The drop in pressure of the gas in the chamber 10 will result in thediaphragm 12 being depressed by the weight 20 to the `position shown in Figure 3, in which position the valve is closed.

Incidentally, it is to be noted that it the pressure in the distribution main drops only temporarily and the gas pressure in the main 4is returned to'normal before the consumer draws any Yfrom the valve chamber, then the pressure in the chamber 11 is not ali'ected and the diaphragm obviously will not be depressed. 1n other words, it is only when the customer actually consuming gas and drawingit fromrthe chamber 11 of the valve that this valvewill become elective to immediately shut olf the supply of gas upon a drop otl the pressure' of the gas below a predetermined point. This is advantageous to the extent that this shut oit valve does not come into play unless gas is'being consumed at the time that the pressure is belowy the predetermined point at which the valve is set to operate. This means that not all ot the gas valves at the consumers7 stations will be shut upon a drop in gas pressure but only those from which the gas pressure in the chamber of the valve is depleted.

Therefore, it the Vdrop in pressure is only temporary and the consumer has not been drawing gas during that period, this gas valve remains unattected.

VVhe'n the gas valve is in its closed position the vinverted cup 21. extends down into the ring of mercury 23. Thereafter, the entire surface of diaphragm 12 is not subjected to the gas pressure but only has that portion of its area defined by the cup y21 exposed to the incoming'gas pressure. In other words, upon the gasbeing restored to its normal pressure, this gas will flow through the passageway y25 and will come in contact with only the top of thevinverted cup 21 which hasr a relatively small area yas compared with the total area of the diaphragm12. The gas is prevented Jfrom entering the chamber 11 by the column of mercury 23 in the well'22 which acts as a seal. Now the weight 20 is so calibrated that itzwill exert a greater Jforce on the diaphragm 12 than the .force being exerted upon the diaphragm by the in the cup 21 when the valve'is in its closed position, and as a result thisy weight will keepthe valve in its closed position.

"Upon the consumer finding out that the supply or" gas has been shut olf, he will immediately notify the gas company which will send-out a man to reopen the shut olf valve. This eliminates the Vnecessity of the company sending out men to all of the hoinesot their consumers sinceV thesev gas valves will prevent gas from escaping at any one consumers home upon a sudden drop inthe gas pressure'below the predetermined point at which the shut oil valve is set to close.

The valve may bey readily .opened by merely removing the cap .19 yand *pulling* the' diaphragm upwardly by its stem 18, thus drawing the,inverted cup 21 out of themercury fr.. LJ

well and allowing gas to again iiow into the chamber ll. The stem 18 also serves to guide the diaphragm in its movement so as to insure that the cup 21 will be aligned with the tube 26 and hence properly enter the well of mercury.

It will also be observed that the housing 10 has ank internal slanting surface directly over the inlet 25 terminating at its lower end in the well 2:2 and at its upper end in com,- munication with the outlet 2S so that mercury may be introduced into the well'from the outlet without the necessityv of removing the cover and diaphragm from the housing.

Now we desire it understood that although we have illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiment of our invention, the invention is not to be thus limited but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A gas shutoif valve, comprising a bowlshaped member having a laterally extending integrally formed iin or extension on the lower side thereof, said fin having a T-shaped terminal portion for connection in a gas riser to provide support for said valve in a horif zontal position, said fin having an annular well in the bottom wall of the bowl to re' ceive a sealing fluid cooperable to seal the gas inlet to the bowl, said fin being passaged to provide a gas inlet through the bottom of said bowl and also being passaged to provide a gas outlet conduit above said gas inlet pas.

sage opening into said bowl through the side thereof and above the bottom thereof, a dia` FRED C. UTTERBACK. GEORGE VALTER WARRICK. 

